This document is comprised of six technical reports detailing the methods and findings of the first major study in the United Kingdom to focus on the effectiveness of early years education. The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education Project (EPPE) studies the progress and development of 3,000 children in various types of preschool and recreation classes for 5 years. The research involves 140 local authority, voluntary, and private preschool centers in a range of localities. The technical reports are as follows: (1) "An Introduction to the EPPE Project," describing the research design; (2) "Characteristics of the EPPE Project Sample at Entry to the Study," presenting findings of detailed multilevel analysis on entry assessments, measures of social and behavioral development, and parent interview data; (3) "Contextualising EPPE: Interviews with Local Authority Co-Ordinators and Centre Managers," examining the impact of government initiatives on early childhood care and education in the full range of preschool centers; (4) "Parent, Family and Child Characteristics in Relation to Type of Pre-School and Socio-Economic Differences" considering how the variation in sample characteristics is related to different types of preschool centers and to socioeconomic status; (5) "Characteristics of the Centres in the EPPE Sample: Observational Profiles," using the Early Child Rating Scale to assess preschool providers in the sample; and (6) "Characteristics of Pre-School Environments," a short version of the sixth report. An "Overview of the Project" is appended. (KB)